1. The old leadership was weak and too stuck in its own ways, even by Watchmen standards. They would buy 200 Infantry units and maybe expand our territory every few decades, and then call these grand plans. We, under the Director's guidance, shall achieve greater things at a faster pace.

2. While most policies will be kept, we shall try to keep a more pragmatic stance to Extropians and aliens. The Cameroon Pact showed us that technology didn't mean submission to the Marispatrians. We will probably amp up our military and become a native superpower in Mars. But do not fear, we shall always swear loyalty to the human race and the cause of Preservationism even in the most darkest of days.

3. No, the bond between our two nations shall not be strained because of a minor shift in agenda. You have always been there to help us, and to quite frank, the Republic of Texas is the preservationist superpower in the same vein that Marispatria is the Extropian superpower and...I can't figure out if the PRGC or the PRSA is the superpower of Neosocialism; perhaps their very nature prohibits such a concept.

Concerning the EAA, we would be most reluctant to do a military campaign in the very heart of Africa. While PRGC is weak in itself, its vast network of likeminded allies would crush any aggressive expedition and turn the EAA into a burned wasteland. While our predecessors wouldn't give second thought of destroying neosocialist potential in spite, we are more farsighted and know that such an action would most likely cause the Extropians to be involved. If both the preservationists and the neosocialists were weakened, it would give Marispatria an upper hand in their dealings.

Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy. -Joseph Campbell

The 2050 Congress of the Congolese Socialist Union is currently in session and with it has brought what some party members have said is the most important decisions since the foundation of the CSU in 2075. In the 75 years that has passed since the CSU's foundation in the Glorious Three Days and the 51 from formal declaration of the People's Republic of the Greater Congo in 2099, it is undeniable that great changes have occurred in the Congo.

The Congress was heavily attended, with every major NeoSocialist party sending representatives to the meeting. The largest of these were the Workers Party of South America, South African Communist Party, Unified Socialist Party of India, and the Martian Communist League. For the first time, Congress delegates were also taken from New Zanzibar on Venus, Lumumba's Pride on the Moon, and the Federation of New Africa on Mars, being the oldest and most developed of the Congo's solar system holdings.

President LeClerk opened the conference by emphasizing the great changes that have taken place in the Congo while talking to attendees who were chosen from their regions to attend the conference. He reminded the delegates that in spite of the challenges and criticisms of the Congo, that it is the party, the organic extension of the people of Central Africa, who have done the most good for the continent. In what some interpreted as a not so subtle jab at events in the EAA, LeClerk warned against the dangers of "running dogs and wreckers" in the construction of socialism.

It is probably the Travailleurs of the Party who were the most involved in the Congress, attempting to use the results of the Congo so far as vindication of the gradual policies undertaken under their long term control of the party.

In a presentation prepared by the government, the CSU showed the drastic changes in many places across the Congo, from 2100 to 2150. Following the presentation, the party's outgoing Central Committee provided a summary of the progress towards the original goals set by the founders of the party. The most important point revolved around infrastructure, which the Central Committee says has been improved and expanded to such an extent that the integration of many regions into a single economy was nearing reality. They estimated that at its current level, the CSU can change its direction and begin to disband some of the old bureaucratic offices and allow more autonomy.

To underscore this, the CSU presented a new agenda for the future where it intends to roll back many of the old regulatory and planning committees into a more streamlined organization to set up for a new Congo. Possibly the most drastic change would be that such bodies would be directly controlled through elections by the workplace committees as opposed to being appointed by the government.

The Congress however noted several problems that still had to be overcome. While the new technologies of this century have allowed for drastic changes in the previous 50 years, there was no agreement on whether or not to change policies on AI. As is the case with other human-dominated socialist nations, AI constructs are not trusted and those in the Pan-Africa platform in particular pointed out to the recent war in Asia as proof of its dangers. Mechanoids, while living and working normally in the Congo, have to deal with restrictions on the extent they can network with other mechanoids.

Criticisms also arose from whether or not the party can claim to be creating more autonomous councils while still retaining some of the powerful state structures based Kinshasa. The Autonomists presented a motion for the party to commit itself to disband several ministries, notably the Ministry of Finance, which garnered support among other representatives outside the Autonomists. The autonomists also advanced a less successful motion to make the party clear on the immediate abolishment of currency.

There was also questions raised about the government's recent decision to invade the sky city in Venus. General-Secretary Katumbi responded that the city had long been attempting to disrupt the operations of the Congolese Venusian colony, New Zanzibar, as well as that of the Maat Mons citizens. Katumbi did not respond to questions from the journalists whether or not the sky city incident had anything to do with the machine intrigue that the Pan-Asian War revealed.

Katumbi was renewed as General-Secretary, for which he thanked the delegate and indicated that he would step down in the 2155 Congress. Other Central Committee appointments went off similarly, including those currently holding government positions. However, LeClerk faced opposition from other members of the party who accused him of abusing his power and attempted to have him removed. Others pointed out that LeClerk's advanced age of 70 was part of the "gerontocracy" of the party, which LeClerk criticized as hypocritical as such concerns were not raised with the similarly aged Katumbi. Vanguard-0185, who was returned to the Central Committee, came to LeClerk's defense pointing out that while LeClerk's was 70 years old, the enhancements he got when pressed into the Cameroon Pact's military make him the equivalent of a healthy man in his 40s.

A delegate of the Congress, who requested to be unnamed, commented that it was interesting that despite LeClerk's loud denunciations of human enhancements, it was itself responsible for allowing him to extend his political career.

The Khartoum Confederation was long a thorn in the Congo's side. For decades to the north of our country existed the very polar opposite of our nation, one built on a wet dream of unrestrained capitalism. Matters were not improved due to several corporations and PMCs who were a part of Africa's woes in the later part of the 21st century and in the Congo's early history. Even at the beginning of this century, the Congo fell into disputes with Khartoum over the madvert infestation which President Lumumba blamed on Khartoum for allowing. Khartoum of course waved off such accusations since it was the act of a private corporation it has no place to interfere with. As of this writing in 2139, it seems the madvert problem still exists though on a lesser scale.

As we now know through disclosure from the government, the Khartoum Confederation had close ties with the Pan-Asian Federation, an entity which while formerly having normal ties with the Congo became increasingly more belligerent on the international stage. Apparently the government had found some indication that the madverts were part of a larger and more threatening plan, and saw the Khartoum Confederation as complicit in it. Was it an existential threat against the Congo? Probably not, and even now the government has never revealed what exactly this mysterious plan was and why it was of concern to the Congo.

The invasion started in 2130, (almost ten years ago, by the time this first appears), and wrapped up the following year. The PMCs and small security force the Khartoum Confederation were no match for the might of the military, as expected. What followed was more of an issue- the government then under the urging of Chairman Katumbi decided to extend an offering to the PALM militia in forming a unity government with NeoSocialists. I can not say whether or not Katumbi was correct here, and I do not think even once my ship has left this will be determined. What I do know however it revealed the shortcomings of our current system and its appeal, with the PALM militia essentially acting as wreckers and opportunists from the centrist party emerging in the fray.

Could NeoSocialism be accepted by the masses? Even my students at the academy in Nairobi were befuddled with the problems in the East African Union. NeoSocialism was something that came from a genuinely African experience, both in the Congo and in South Africa. These youth, the future of the space fleet, had been instilled by party training the appeal of socialism. And yet they saw only a stone's throw away from their academy in the EAA, such an order was in danger and did not enjoy widespread popular support.

It was a sobering moment for many people. The dangers of imposing a new government on such a place without it growing out of the people themselves in an organic process, as it was here. We must also acknowledge though that the position of NeoSocialism is a precarious one, attempting to straddle a difficult position between the preservationists towards whom we share similarities and the Extropians who compete to present a new society independent of capitalism.

In a sense it also presented the possibility to me that capitalism was simply too entrenched. Even in the Congo we struggled to move beyond old bourgeois structures and the spectre of money. It is obvious that such changes in the Congo would take decades as it would in the EAA- but what about creating such a society from scratch? Yes, history shows us the failure of communist utopian communes in the past, but in this day and age we have both the people and technology to achieve it. Why not do so on a clean slate? The Congo's colonization program presented an avenue to do just that.

Before I move on the the main topic, I would like to go over three of the points that you raised in your last communique:

1.) With regards to extraterrestrial life and alien beings, my government and the HNP believe that this issue is a completely different one to that of the successful management of good relations between humans and non humans back on Earth. Our policy towards extraterrestrial life and alien beings is one of fostering good relations through mutual friendship and cooperation, in a manner which is beneficial to all parties concerned. In the near future, Texas seeks to open relations with the beings of Ghellhonus as part of our desire to foster good relations with all life that is found in our Galaxy.

2.) As for the Cameroon Pact, we see them as an enemy of both Texas and Preservationism. My government does take issue with the Watchmen over your decision to establish a working relationship with the Cameroon Pact as we believe that this can only strengthen them at our own expense. While my government considers Marispatria to be the main threat to the cause of Preservationism, they are not the only threat. That the Cameroon Pact is outside of Marispatrian influence does not make them in any way preferable and we must recognise that the Cameroon Pact has it's own agenda, an agenda that is completely at odds with our own. The actions of the Cameroon Pact in Bangladesh during the last years of the Pan Asian War are a good example of their agenda and it is thanks to them that Texas was unable to liberate Bangladesh and have that country join the Preservationist cause. In future Texas will not tolerate Cameroon Pact interference in the affairs of other countries and should they ever stand in our way, we are ready to respond with appropriate measures.

3.) With all the latest data and intelligence available, my goverment would agree with the assessment that the People's Republic of Greater Congo is the leading country in the Neosocialist bloc. Though the People's Republic of South America and the Commune of India have larger populations than that of the PRGC and both are great powers in their own right, the PRGC has the greatest economic and military capacity of them all.

Now to main issue which is the continuing situation in the East African Alliance (EAA). It seems that you misinterpreted what I said in my last message to you. My government has no intention of openly and publicly conducting a military campaign in the EAA. Texas is already giving a substantial amount of support to the Centrist Party and we will continue to do so for as long as it takes for them to come to power in the EAA. My government would like to see the Centrist Party come to power via democratic and constitutional means and the support that Texas has been giving to the Centrist Party is in aid of this goal. According to the latest data and intelligence reports the current political situation in the EAA is one of stalemate, with the Extropians, Neosocialists and Centrists failing to gain an advantage over the others. Therefore it is vital that we work towards a situation where the Centrist Party can gain the necessary public support needed to win power via democratic and constitutional means.

However, should our efforts fail and we are faced with a situation where either the Extropians or the Neosocialists are poised to take power in the EAA, we must be willing to do whatever it takes to guarantee that such an outcome never takes place. My suggestion of sponsoring a military coup should be seen as an option of last resort, a plan B if you will. Our sponsorship of a military coup in the EAA would of course be done using covert means, so to the outside world it would appear to be no more than an internal issue for the EAA. I would like to remind you that the pace of events in the EAA moves quickly and we must always be ready to come up with new ideas and new methods in dealing with the ever changing political situation in the EAA.

A view of the upper clouds decks of Venus, an every day sight for the inhabitants of New Hope

Following the invasion of the New Hope airborne metropolis by the forces of the Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo last year, a new Robomarxist-friendly government has been installed in the city early this year. The government is made up of New Hope Communist Party members, who took their posts following negotiations with the PRGC over new administration. Control of the itinerant aircraft-city was officially handed over in a ceremony broadcast live across the Solar system. The PRGC has been heavily criticised in some Extropian and Preservationist circles for its heavy-handed and partisan approach, as well as accusations that the evidence used to justify the invasion and regime change was fraudulent.

PRGC sponsored Space Fountain for EAA to improve orbital access

The Fountain as it would look part-way through construction

Construction has began on a Space Fountain in the East African Alliance, a five-year project which significantly reduce the cost of transporting cargo and passengers into Earth orbit. When fully completed, a stream of magnetised pellets will hold together a skyscraper-like building, over 60 kilometres tall and surmounted by an enormous spaceport connected to the ground level by an elevator-like magnetically suspended cargo and passenger carriers travelling along a network reaching throughout the whole structure. Its modular design plus the variable length of the magnetic stream allows for extremely rapid construction relative to conventional structural techniques, although it's active nature requires numerous backup systems in case the power supply for the pellet stream is interrupted. It is believed that the Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo is providing a measure of technical and logistical assistance, being the first magnetically constructed installation of its kind in the EAA.

Texas bankrolls DRC colony on Mars, gets military tech in return

A typical homesteader vehicle

The Republic of Texas has begun assisting in the construction of an extraterrestrial colony on Mars for the Democratic Republic of China, in exchange for the exact design specifications of the Nanosuit armour developed by the Pan-Asian Federation, which the Chinese inherited after its fall, along with the designs for the Stealth Raider Ship and the Intercontinental Subterranean Guided Munition (ISGM). The DRC government gave the designs to the Republic of Texas with little fanfare, prompting protests from pacifist organisations and disarmament campaigners across the world, but with concentrations in the Texan capital of Austin and the DRC capital of Shanghai. It is believed that the agreement grants the DRC full sovereignty over the last major stretch of neutral Northern Ocean coast on Mars, with at least several dozen homesteaders being evicted from the area, although the vast area of the southern plains and the ruggedness of the hills on the northern shore means that the final count is yet to be determined. Reports from the Federation of New Africa tell of homesteader vehicles being granted passage through the NeoSocialist territory to the neutral areas to the southwest of the area now claimed by the DRC, with some Martian voices raising concerns over their safety due to the harsher winters in the southern hemisphere as well as the possibility of bandits or raiders.

Geological scientists and volcanology specialists from the University of Seattle in the Pacific Union have formed a geo-engineering task force, which has begun a seismic sounding survey of the area encompassing the hotspot and adjacent subsurface volumes. The sounding survey is intended to provide a detailed three-dimensional map of subterranean conditions, which will provide crucial information for any attempts to deal with the pressure mounting inside the magma dome of the hot spot, which North American geologists are concerned could herald a supervolcano eruption.

Diagram illustrating the general forces and structures at work. The soundings will be accurate to within a cubic centimetre

The Mengistu Enquiry into the fund-raising activities and requisitioning policies of the Centrist Party of the East African Alliance has come crashing to an undignified halt amid a flurry of accusations coming from all political corners, some involving members of the Enquiry itself. The beginning of the end of the Enquiry began when the Centrist Party leadership lodged an official protest with the government of the EAA, citing irregularities in the evidence-gathering and interview procedures of the Enquiry. This was soon followed by revelations in the local media of intimidation by investigators against Centrist Party members under investigation, prompting protest on the EAA streets by Centrist Party supporters, protests which were met by Extropian and NeoSocialist counter-demonstrators.

With the integrity of the Enquiry under serious question, all investigative activities relating to it were suspended pending a judicial review. In the midst of the demonstrations and suspension, the situation has been further inflamed by revelations that the Extropian PALM (Pan-African Liberation Movement) recieved military aid from the Technocratic Union of Marispatria during that organisation's rebellion against the Khartoum Confederation. Protests and demonstrations have erupted into running street battles between Extropian and Centrist partisans, before being broken up by EAA security forces that are having a hard time keeping them apart. Complicating the task of keeping the peace has been the somewhat ambivalent stance of the NeoSocialist bloc towards the revelations of Union support for the PALM, which has varied by organisation; the East African Socialist Federation has accused Extropian organisations, especially the PALM, of being "running dogs for a 22nd-century social imperialism" requiring "a more material response" in order to clear out such "undue influences".

The former Khartoum Confederation claimed to have evidence that the Union was supplying PALM with weapons

Meanwhile, other NeoSocialist organisations have given a more measured response; Yusuf Katembwe of the Somali Worker's Union described the revelations as "disappointing but ultimately not surprising - we had long suspected that the PALM had been recieving support from outside of the EAA, but our position has always been that the Centrist Party represents a greater threat to the African socialist position, and that remains unchanged".

The PALM have made no attempt to deny their receipt of support from the Union, instead focusing their rhetorical counter-thrust on the gains made by the organisation since the collapse of the Khartoum Confederation; "Since the foundation of the East African Alliance, the question of Extropian NeoSocialist relations has been a thorny and at times tumultous one. Nevertheless, the EAA has prospered and developed, despite the nay-saying of the phenotypical seperatists and those decieved by the false promises of capital. Marispatrian arms alone could not have achieved a fraction of what we've all helped to accomplish, NeoSocialist and Extropian alike. Is it not convenient that the Mengistu Enquiry has shuddered to a halt just as news of recieving arms years ago comes to light? We implore both the general populous as well as our NeoSocialist colleagues in government; join with us in rooting out the traitors that seek to undo all that has been accomplished and revert the East African Alliance back into a colony of capital!" Despite the PALM's extension of the hand of political friendship, recent events have served to put some strain on the relationship between the Extropian and NeoSocialist factions; strain that Africa Beyond, an up-and-coming Extropian organisation with significant support in rural areas, hopes to alleviate. "As a gesture of good faith, we have decided to accelerate our program of providing towns and villages with fabricators and farming equipment, as well as the knowledge and skills required to maximise their productive and agricultural independence from the capitalist price system that both we and the NeoSocialists despise. Our enemies move in darkness, afraid of the scrutiny that light brings - this is why they scuttle around, picking at little irregularities and trifling misdemeanours in an attempt to deny Africa the post-capitalist future we deserve. But our own hands are clean, and we move openly."

Africa Beyond has been assisting with the installation and maintenance of large-scale fabricators in rural areas throughout the EAA, like this one in the small town of Gasera, Ethiopia

These active efforts by Africa Beyond to move towards some kind of post-capitalist economy have spooked many of the local businesses which provide the main source of support for the Centrist Party. There is a genuine and palpable fear among the commercial interests of the EAA of the advent of an economy where money is no object, and in consequence many companies have thrown their support behind the Centrist Party, efforts which have been credited as the source of the recent surge in support for that organisation, especially in urban areas where the currency based economy is significantly more entrenched. "Those utopian dreamers at Africa Beyond have no clue of the massive and foolhardy economic experiment they're undertaking," said Amina Demeke at the Annual General Meeting of the East African Enterprise Institute. "they look over the water and see the finely-tuned technocratic economy of the Union, but they fail to also see that Marispatria has a massive and varied resource base that allows such a chimera to keep on running, which the East African Alliance lacks. Even if such a thing were to come to pass, we have grave misgivings about the ability of Africa Beyond and the EAA government to successfully manage such a transition without serious and lasting repercussions along the way. It is the opinion of this organisation that such an attempt at economic transition will hurt both business owners and workers in the East African Alliance."

West African Convergence debates future of Extropianism

Calls for greater Extropian unity along Marispatrian lines have prompted a storm of debate in the West African Convergence, with pro-Marispatrian elements playing up what they see as the successes of the Marispatrian geopolitical approach as well as the need to guard against Preservationist attempts to split the Extropian camp, while counter-Marispatrian Extropians have questioned the historical longevity of Marispatrian geopolitics, pointing out that the gains of new Extropian polities have come at the cost of stability in the Asian region, arguing that it is only a matter of time before the economic and social hangover from the Pan-Asian war fades and tensions begin anew. The counter-Marispatrians have strongly opposed any strongly binding military alliance with the Union, citing events such as the bombing of Beijing as examples of what the West African Convergence might find themselves being dragged into. Christian Pverre, Press Specialist for the ETC (Extropians for a Terran Confederation), said of the matter "Like many great powers before it, the Union has been accused of acting as the world's policeman, and their active presence on the international scene has invited comparisons with that of the United States of the two previous centuries. This should be terrible news for a polity which seeks to present itself as something different". The Extropian proclivity towards large (some would say obsessive) amounts of attention to the details has produced many additional sub-debates to the conversation, with the question "where did it all go wrong for the Union"? being among the most hotly-contested. The Radical and Collectivist factions place the turning point as far back as the time when the Union agreed to mediate between the warring polities of North America, while the Structuralists have argued that the problem has been one of tactics, considering the Union's focus on military action ahead of social and economic integration to be the primary cause for their current concerns. The Centralist Extropians on the other hand have doggedly argued their corner against these rhetorical assaults, arguing that despite the mistakes and the compromises, in the teeth of powerful and worldwide opposition willing to use the dirtiest tricks in the book, the Technocratic Union of Marispatria has endured enough to lift billions out of poverty, misery and oppression.

EURASIA-PACIFIC

Bangladesh secures borders in military build-up

The centre offers short-term accommodation for those passing through

The newly-reformed polity of Bangladesh and its ruling New Workers' Party have commenced a program intended to secure the borders and "ensure the longevity of a potentially fragile peace in post-Federation Asia". The move comes amid a period of heightened immigration from neighbouring Burma and DR China, mainly consisting of disenfranchised mechanoid and cyborgs as well as a discernible portion being social and political dissidents opposed to the DRC regime. Concern has been raised by some Bangladeshis over the possibility of spies and infiltrators embedding themselves amongst the genuine cases, and the upgrades to border security are intended to address that concern. As well as an increased military presence in the mountain passes connecting Bangladesh to Burma and the DRC and a variety of surveillance drones in the skies above them, a processing and clearance centre has been established in Imphal, Manipur in order to screen out security risks, establish identities, provide citizenship papers, and to issue guidance and instructions for the smooth integration of immigrants and asylum seekers into Bangladeshi society.

Commune of India to build Solar Megaplant

A southern subsection of the plant has already been completed

The NeoSocialist Commune of India has commenced the construction of a Solar Megaplant in southern Karnataka, in order to improve energy availability and hasten efforts to upgrade infrastructure for the new socialist economic arrangement. The development comes on the heels of a new borehole mine in Andhra Pradesh last year, which has already served to reduce the need for imports of raw materials from elsewhere, typically other NeoSocialist polities.

State and Security Ministries declassify Union military connections to East African ExtropiansDocuments extend as far back as 2124

TCSC Councilwoman Lilian Dores

23 hours ago - The TransContinental Security Council (TCSC) declassified documents extending as far back as 2124 today regarding Union military ties with Extropian rebels in the former Khartoum Confederation, citing the council’s ‘expiration policy’ on documents formerly labelled top secret. Security Councilwoman Lilian Dores dismissed the notion that the move by the Ministry was an attempt to recover lost ground in light of its prior relationship with PALM Extropians being outed by East African sources. “Twenty-six years ago we endeavored to aid and advance the struggle playing out in the Confederation,” stated Dores. “We neither regret or deny our involvement in what has grown to be a beacon of hope for a continent traditionally subjected to the trials and humiliation of colonialism. It was, for all intents and purposes, in the most organic fashion, a movement for liberation against one of the last bastions of private capital.”

State Secretary Felix Isak criticized the reactions of some on the East African and international Left in a subsequent press release, commenting on the “deplorable sectarianism and opportunistic navel-gazing exhibited by prominent members of the ‘great NeoSocialist movement,’” before going on to target the shadowy Centrist Party. “Very little is known about this organization and its allies,” stated Isak, “but the fact that it has managed to make such considerable gains in so few years - in a polity hostile to overt appeals to Khartoum-style neoliberalism - all but ensures it has powerful inter-solar allies in the wings. We await the day when this, too, inevitably comes to light.”
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Globe Collective

Marispatrians rally in show of solidarity with allies in Africa, AsiaBaldassare: “From Abuja to Beijing, we are one people”

Demonstrators rally in Rome, Italy

30 min. ago - Marispatrians in numerous cities rallied in an outpouring of solidarity with the polity’s allies Monday, celebrating advances in the Extropian movement in a show of force that detractors claim is meant to silence international criticism of the Union’s ‘bullish handling’ of the immediate postwar era. Critics of the day of action decried what they deemed an “unabashed sanctioning of patriotic vitriol towards non-Extropian entities,” while some drew parallels to the organizers’ exclusionary policy regarding NeoSocialist and other radical tendencies with similar tactics enforced by the East African and Congolese governments. Organizers brushed off the wave of international and solar criticism, stating “Our intention was never to exclude or otherwise neglect our comrades outside the revolutionary movement, but to remind the people of the world and Solar system that we are of one struggle.”

Chancellor Baldassare made an appearance early in the day at a rally in Prague to voice his support for the actions, praising the dedication of those “who strove to make this a reality.” “We stand on the cusp of realizing the full extent of our potential,” mused the elderly leader. “But we cannot do so alone. Borders are arbitrary, meddlesome things. Today we remember that from Dallas to Cairo, Abuja to Beijing, we are one people.” Officials estimate over 3 million people participated in the actions, with organizers claiming at least twice that number.

Hello again; this is The Director speaking. I have come to discuss with you the recent events that have came to pass today.

While I congratulate New Hope City on their new, sovereign identity, I worry how much PRGC strings are attached to their governmental functions. This reminds me of the old Soviet days, where Stalin would "liberate" Eastern European nations before installing puppets that would yelp when the Communists in Moscow pulled their chains. I am not saying that New Hope City must revert back to Pan-Asian slavery, but I would hope their cries of solidarity are not simply smoke and mirrors. New Hope should follow the example of the Neosocialist Commune of India and become independent of PRGC influence. Be allies with the PRGC for all I care, but do not become their lackeys.

This new Space Fountain that the PRGC is sponsored and giving "logistical and technical" support to is admirable. It is so admirable in fact, that the Watchmen of Humanus shall be sending financial support and free hands-on business courses in Intellectual Property Trading and Spatial Real Estate to businessbeings and students interested. An university of sorts shall be built, perhaps called the Atlas School of New Economics, and it will be open to all phenotypes; the shape of the credit should be the only thing worth judging. I would like to ask any preservationist polities to help chip in with their own ideas and funding. Perhaps EAA isn't a lost cause that is destined to become the battleground of a fourth world war. Perhaps the Extropians and Neosocialists and preservationists can work together to better the lot of the citizens of EAA. If the PRGC and the Technocratic Union can help their respective supporters in independent support, why can't we?

I, as the representative of the Watchmen, would like to congratulate Texas and the DRC for working together in starting a new Democratic Chinese colony. It is always good to have a likeminded neighbor where my closest neighbor is the Commune and a Marispatrian colony. Rest assured the Watchmen shall be eternally vigilant in defending our brethren in case of bandits or terrorists.

Preservationists, this issue within the West African Convergence terrifies me to the bone. The concept that Marispatria would, possibly by force and guile politics, bind with other Extropian entities for greater unity seems to foreshadow other unfortunate events. Will we be able to stand up against an unified, Marispatrian-led entity that would be willing to do to us as it did to the old Khartoum Confederation? While I understand alliances, this seems like a rotten Marispatrian scheme. And where will it stop? Just at the WAC? Or will it assimilate other polities such as the Cameroon Pact and the Nanotopia, forcing them to give up cultural and legal sovereignty in exchange for whatever the Marispatrians deem fitting? Mind you, there was a time when Marispatria was hero of the galaxy and saved thousands with the flex of their finely-oiled robo-muscles (*Laughter could be heard in the background*), but the Old Guard is becoming irrelevant in the shadow of the new, militant youth that seems to aspire for a technocratic New World Order. Their EAA puppet PALM even called for the purge of all traitors that go against their H.G. Wells utopian vision where everyone is smiles and everyone is free to be what they want, as long as it isn't a capitalist, nationalist, classical liberal, hardline neosocialist, Pan-Asian, or whatever they consider to be dissident opinon. It frightens me that PALM, which Marispatria recently stated they supported openly, would call the businessmen and entrepreneurs "traitors" and would like nothing more than a good ol' Stalinist purge. Solidarity and sophont rights my ass.

The WAC thankfully is split on the issue, and there are a few factions that still have a sea of common sense. This comes to my point, preservationist friends: Extropianism today is divided. On one hand, there's the Marispatrian-led Extropians who answer to the Union's beck and call, and on the other there is the independent technocracies like the Nanotopia, Republic of California, and the Cameroon Pact.

It should be in our preservationist interests to make sure that the independent technocracies know that they aren't alone; that the Watchmen shall be ready to support them if trouble arises. While I understand that certain polities may have issues with the Cameroon Pact and Californian Republic, it might be time to bury the hatchet in light of Marispatria's aggressive policies, and work together, Sovereign Extropians (as I would like to call them) and Preservationists, to make sure we don't fall into the same trap the EAA is in.

And as I was writing this, the report that the Marispatrians declassified their involvement with PALM has come to my computer, at no considerable shock to myself or my government. Dores' comment that they don't regret their involvement in the EAA interests me. They accuse the Centrist Party of Preservationist support yet they do the same thing. I ask the Technocratic Union to reel in this bipolar State Sec who insults members of the NeoSocialist movement but then calls them navel-gazers. Well, at the very least those navel-gazers are doing what they can to help their constituents. Can I see the same for the Marispatrians who give weapons to terrorists that ask to purge any who don't follow their mentality? No.

In fact, if we are all "One People" in "One Struggle", then let us be unified. Marispatria and PRGC are in it, but that's only 2/3s of the people. The Preservationists should be part of this struggle. It should be our goal to help the businesspeople and the nationalists to be safe and enjoy their own communities. The Watchmen shall take part in this bright new future of the EAA, and we shall send financial and logistical aid to the construction of the previously mentioned Atlas School of New Economics, as well as send some support to the Centrist Party in order help serve the interests of the Preservationist communities, which are more populous than the Extropians and NeoSocialists would like to think. In this way, we can also look after the true capitalists, Khartoum sympathizers, and techno-skeptics without another blood bath.

In this project I would also ask help from my Preservationists friends to accomplish.

Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy. -Joseph Campbell

Union Ambassador to the West African Convergence calls for reconciliation“Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves”

Daouda Tandja (PC) at a special session of the Majalisa

1 hour ago - Marispatria’s ambassador to the West African Convergence called on representatives of the pro-Marispatrian and moderate factions of the government to make peace today, after a flurry of accusations and debates raged during a 3-hour session of the Majalisa, the polity’s Technocratic congress. Calls for greater Extropian unity - built upon closer West African and Marispatrian ties - were met with boos and catcalls from the opposition ETC faction, whose Press Specialist Christian Pverre stirred up controversy over comments likening the Union’s actions to U.S. imperialism in the 20th and 21st centuries. “Like many great powers before it, the Union has been accused of acting as the world's policeman, and their active presence on the international scene has invited comparisons with that of the United States of the two previous centuries,” commented Pverre before a public meeting hosted by an array of pro and counter-Marispatrian entities. “This should be terrible news for a polity which seeks to present itself as something different.”

The Union’s ambassador to the West African polity, Basem Imane, sought to allay concerns over the future of Marispatrian-Convergence ties following the debates, assuring that “it’ll take more than a minor display of democratic discourse to shake our allegiance to our allies in Niamey.” Nevertheless, Imane expressed concern over the shape and direction of the debates, commenting “The last thing we want is to see a split in the governing coalition, which has successfully overseen the transition of West Africa from a haven for neoliberal entities to a vibrant, growing modern society built upon acceptance and cooperative thinking. The movement has made great strides in recent years, but our enemies continue to sow the seeds of confusion and dissent. Now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves.”

Imane’s pleas for moderation appeared to fall on deaf ears however, as leading Centralist Extropians dug in against a wave of criticism emanating from political bodies like the ETC, claiming supporters of the latter to be inadvertent accomplices to ‘Preservationist attempts to sow dissension within the Extropian movement.’ Daouda Tandja, Chairman of the Progress Coalition (PC), a pro-Union entity, warned ETC sympathizers of the potential for greater conflict between the two camps. “We’re not Union lackeys,” retorted the middle-aged leader on the rooftop of PC headquarters in Niamey. “Anything to the contrary is slander. We recognize Marispatria’s failings, but we also understand the Union’s role in lifting billions of the Earth’s peoples out of poverty and want. Great swathes of the world and solar system live in full freedom because of the Marispatrian people and their sacrifices. Were it not for them we’d have lost the war.”

The debate, it seems, is beginning to leak out into the public discourse. University students and labor groups squared off last Tuesday with counter-Marispatrian groups in a series of protests and counter-demonstrations over whether to bring the Convergence closer into the Union fold. “We haven’t even begun to fight,” boasted one student on condition of anonymity. “We will not let these Preservationist saboteurs sully the movement.”

In the interests of maintaining peace and inter-solar stability, we in the Union would like to venture the idea of drafting and signing a mutual non-aggression agreement with the Cameroon Pact. Contrary to popular belief, Marispatrians are not fond of war; we value peaceful coexistence and development. Our nations may differ substantively on a number of different issues, however this needn't preclude one from maintaining a healthy respect for the national sovereignty and self-determination of the other.

Of course, any non-aggression agreement naturally necessitates that the Cameroon Pact respect the sovereignty of Marispatria's allies, something our Union will strive to do in turn. We urge your leadership to consider our offer. In light of recent events, it is in everyone's best interest.

Cordially Yours,

Salvatario Baldassare
Chancellor of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

LeClerk was not pleased with the developments in the Committee to Defend the Revolution. On top of other problems the Congo faced abroad, continued domestic subversion was not what they needed at this point. The normally tame yearly Congresses of the Congolese Socialist Union were becoming heated now with the prepared reports from the CDR. It was normally the Congresses that occured every five years where there was significant debate, the yearly ones were only for clarification and transparency on policy.

All this over a cult. A god damn cult. Why were they facing these problems in this century? Why did belief in the immaterial still persist in this age of technological supremacy? The Star Kvlt felt a lot more different than the cults the Congo had experienced before, everything from the apocalyptic to utopian.

There were pointed questions directed at him about what local and regional governments were supposed to do. The only consolation was that Chairman Katumbi faced even more scrutiny due to being more involved with the intracies of the government administration than he was.

The most recent case the CDR reported on were some bizarre murders in Dar es Salaam. According to reports provided from the CDR, a local dockworker had murdered his wife, daughter, and a family friend in a vacation house on the coast. Officially the crime was acknowledged but the scope of it was withheld from the public. The CDR were called in once the local security militia noted the bizzare, almost ritualistic decor in the room. The CDR was confident this was a Star Kvlt sacrifce, noting the language used in the ritual carvings and the usual references to beings from space and within the ocean. LeClerk had wondered if the man had merely been trying to create a facade to lessen the impact of his punishment, but the CDR was confident that it went well beyond anyone sane of mind to have committed. The dismemberments and dead animals seemed to point to that.

It did not help that the suspect was a party member, a promising one that was likely to win a seat in the regional assembly in the Tanzania SR and possibly more, until now at least. If it was known that a party member had indulged in this, it would be far worse in its impact and taken by the reactionaries in the country as a condemnation of their cause.

The knowledge of the Star Kvlt was only second hand. The bombing of Washington DC long ago and the occupation of the ICE labratory on Mars was the only cases when the group acheived notoreity across the solar system. Yet LeClerk knew that all countries on Earth had problems with this. Even in occupied Congo under the Cameroon Pact, urban legends persisted on grizzly murders being part of rituals by a cult. More recently they had committed killings in the nation, with it reaching a pitch when it was believed they were planning some form of biological warfare. That particular threat had subsided for a moment but the Star Kvlt was still continuing its activities with no clear reason why.

But what exactly did the Star Kvlt believe in? Some pinned them as an apocalyptic cult, but others interpreted their actions as worshipping some sort of superior beings, ones that are such that possess vast powrs that make all the experiences of humanity look paltry by comparison. It was thought with constant references to dwellers of the deep, that somehow these were confused offerings to the Abyssian Dwellers, but their representatives on numerous occassions denied that the Star Kvlt have anything to do with them. They pointed out that they had their own form of the Star Kvlt that caused problems in their settlements in the ocean deep.

As far as LeClerk was concerned, they were a bunch of quacks. Still, why did people follow them? It was concerning that despite the achievements of the Congo, that there were citizens being seduced by the cult due to their shortcomings in life. Many things had changed in the Earth which undercut the perceived simplicity of life in older days- discovery of extraterrestrial life, the ancient denizens like the Abyssian Dwellers and Antarticans, the return of Martians, the human genome's secrets manipulated at will, technology allowing humanity to control nature itself. Yet even with that, did humanity even register as unique or special anymore? Do people feel fulfilled? Or do they feel that their efforts are for naught due to what lies in the unknown?

Vanguard-0185 discussed the issue with his counterparts in South Africa who reported similar problems. Vanguard confided to LeClerk his confusion in the tendency for humans to believe in such things- as a mechanoid he could not understand why anyone would attach themselves to the Star Kvlt. If there was one thing about mechanoids, it was their resolutely materialist standpoint. In this sense they were excellent Marxists, but sometimes they came off as cold and detatched- something Vanguard admitted in his relief that he was not responsible for trying to figure it out.

And yet LeClerk was not responsible for this either. Why was it concerning him so? The group should not register on his radar, but yet something put fear in him. The fear of the unknown? What would that make him then, superstitious? After seeing dozens of these cases it was making him concerned that they could not prevent them, only react to them. Somehow even after destroying covens, new ones would sprout up in their place. There was suggestions that there was some sort of pyschological domination being employed by a handful of trusted Star Kvlt operatives to create covens- this could explain the Dar es Salaam dockworker's utter confusion and denial in what he did.

He was more amused by the conspiracies on the internet. They went everywhere from claims that the murders were part of a false flag operation for the Congo to extend police domination to a Transhumanist plot led by LeClerk himself to create chaos and tension in the nation to seize control. They were far from the truth, but at the same time the Star Kvlt was the stuff of conspiracies. He had only seen one conspiracy that went in the direction of a cult, one that some how correctly noted that the scope of their crimes were understated by state authorities. But then it went into a claim that said cult was preparing for the return of those that had "seeded" humanity for future cultivation.

The Star Kvlt had surprisingly nonexistent internet presence. Beyond their own statements and commentary on them by news and government around the world, their preferred method of communication obviously didn't rely on the normal internet. Somehow they were able to run a group across the solar system with no known means of rapid communication.

LeClerk was expected to get ready for his visits abroad to the EAA, South Africa, India, Vancouver, and South America to affirm solidarity among Earthbound NeoSocialists. It was not meant for serious discussion and LeClerk was not sure how to approach his comrades on how to discuss the matter. There were more pressing concerns at the moment to address, but he could not let the Star Kvlt actions be ignored any longer.

Indeed, this is the question. We assure you, we mean for this agreement to last well into the future. Our interest in mutual non-aggression is twofold: 1) to prevent hostilities from breaking out along our immediate periphery, in light of the war with Pan-Asia; 2) to ensure the continuance of peaceful development and coexistence with those which we have no quarrel. In light of the current inter-solar geopolitical situation, we are willing to make concrete agreements beginning in the new year. In short, the Union and the Pact are to refrain from any signs or movements of aggression towards the other, respecting the sovereignty and right to self-determination of each. To illustrate this, we are prepared to send the Cameroon leadership military aid every two years, the first shipment of which may (if approved) arrive in early 2152.

We thank you for your swift response. We anticipate your next one.

Yours,

Salvatario Baldassare
Chancellor of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

To:The Chancellery of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria, Salvatario Baldassare

The Cameroon Pact formally accepts the offer of a non-aggression agreement, as well as the offer of military material.

We are aware of our general reputation in the Technocratic Union, and if memory serves previous administrations have passed negative judgement on the Pact. We are willing to use our discretion in this matter, but should word of this become public knowledge then there could be serious repercussions for your office. Certainly there will be Radical and Collectivist elements who would use it against you.

We are sending this out to the current and future residents of Venus to gauge the desire for a terraformation of the planet. The process was interrupted during the war to eject Pan-Asia, and indeed the unilateral drive to terraform the planet was partially a reason for that conflict. However, times have changed and with emigration from Earth increasing, we must seek out other planets besides Mars as comfortable targets for the people of Earth. To this end the Congo is suggesting that the terraformation of Venus be resumed to allow for a more hospitable environment for settlement.

We would like to start this within the next year, but we would want to make sure that this is agreed upon by the residents of the planet before any decision is made.

For the past two years work has been carried out in our orbital drydocks on the construction and crew selection process for an interstellar colonising torch ship destined for the red dwarf star Lalande 21185, 8.31 light years from Sol. This project was initiated as part of efforts from our Cytherean citizens to establish a lasting home for themselves, far from the geopolitical turmoil of the Sol system. After much successful campaigning, fundraising, donations and resource acquisition drives, we granted the Cytherea Association use of one of the larger construction bays in the Ongwuti-Ozza shipyards, and since 2148 they have been hard at work. The project has since been gaining considerable interest from Cythereans all across Venus, interest which the Cytherean Association has been quick to capitalise on; already they have asked us to petition those wishing to terraform Venus to bear the cost of constructing an additional two colonising torch-ships, sufficient to carry all those Cythereans who have registered a strong interest in helping to establish a place of their own among the stars. Two more ships, and the Cytherean Association say that they and many Cythereans will happily trade a planet for an entire star system.

Your offer concerning the terraformation of Venus has been received with some trepidation amongst members of our administration. While we certainly do not wish to stand in the way of such efforts, we are prepared to ask why, after decades of war, the Congolese would seek to resume a project that served as the catalyst for a much wider conflict between the Pan-Asians and the rest of the solar system. We are prepared to sign off on the resumption of this project, but do so grudgingly. It is our hope that our sanctioning of this effort will not pave the way for fresh hostilities between the polities of Earth and its colonies. If this should happen, we will withdraw our support from the project immediately.

Sincerely,

Salvatario Baldassare
Chancellor of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria
__________________________________________________________________

To: The Central Committee of Maat Mons Underground City

From: The Chancellery of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

Comrades,

While it grieves us to learn of your wish to depart our system, we cannot say we don't understand why. Thus we wish to provide aid (and, indeed, both colonizing torch ships) for your journey. We can break ground on the project of constructing both ships beginning in 2152. Would this be acceptable to you and your people? We await your answer.

Lastly, we do not want your departure to entail any loss of future communications. The Union wishes to maintain a lasting relationship with the Cythereans, as well as receive information as to what you find in your new star system.

Sincerely Yours,

Salvatario Baldassare
Chancellor of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

We have only floated the idea of the terraforming Venus because it is something we see as beneficial for future expansion beyond Earth. We must take advantage of opportunities to allow people to fulfill their needs and dreams in any way possible that may not be feasible on Earth. We see that the expansion of settlement on Mars has been, for the most part, successful and an indicator that our nations are able t ocopmetnetly settle places beyond Earth.

As for the Venusian War it may be recalled that the driving factor here was the Pan-Asian aggression on that planet and its subjugation of Maat Mons. The terraforming issue was secondary and more related to the fact that Pan-Asia had initiated the project unilaterally without consultation from other powers in the solar system, much less the residents of the planet. It should be recalled that Texas, which started the invasion, was itself the main backer of the terraforming project on Mars, so it can not be said this was strictly about preventing terraforming.

This is why we have floated the idea to all people with an interest in the project, so it does not seem that we are blindly purusing what we think should be done for the Congo just because we happen to have a settlement there. It is not of dire importance to the Congo that we will aggressively push for it, but at the same time it is something that is very much possible right now. As for why we have decided this now, it is because we have only recently cleared the orbiting debris left from the war- an effort completely undertaken by the Congo alone- and the situation on Earth has stabilized to such an extent that we would feel comfortable carrying out this project.

Our scientists have been looking at ways to do a more measured terraforming which would allow for the planet to be more bearable to humans without radically changing the surface of the planet into something earth-like and losing Venus's unique characteristics.

To: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of Greater Congo, Vanguard-0185

I would like to use this opportunity to thank the government of Greater Congo in it's decision to first consult all concerned parties with regards to your plan for the terraformation of Venus. It also pleases me to see that the Greater Congo has avoided the mistakes that the former Pan-Asian Federation made when it decided to approach this matter unilaterally.

As to the position of the Texan government, it is this; Texas has no principled objections to the terraformation of Venus however in return for Texan support for your terraformation plans we ask for something in return. Many years ago at the start of the Pan-Asian War, the former Marispatrian Chancellor Aaric Packston promised us that Marispatria would terminate it's occupation of Washington DC, Maryland and Delaware and return sovereignty of this territory to the nations of North America. Now that the Pan-Asian War is over, Texas is of the view that Marispatria should now make good on it's promise. In the event that Marispatria fails to keep it's promise and continues to occupy territory in North America, Texas asks that the Greater Congo supports us diplomatically to ensure that adequate pressure is brought to bear upon Marispatria. I am confident that a multilateral diplomatic approach encompassing the nations of North America and a major power such as the Greater Congo will be sufficient in bringing Marispatria to the negotiating table so that it can honour it's duties and commitments to the Maryland Agreement.

If the Greater Congo can agree to this deal then you already have our support for your plans to terraform Venus.

I eagerly await your response and I hope that this deal will be the first of many between our two great nations.

To: Chancellor of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria, Salvatario Baldassare

The government of Texas would like to know what are Marispatria's intentions with regards to Washington DC, Maryland and Delaware? No doubt you are aware of the promise that was made to us by your former Chancellor Aaric Packston concerning the return of this territory to North American sovereignty. Now that the Pan-Asian War is over, we in the Texan government feel that this would be a good time to resume negotiations on this matter so that is can be resolved in a manner that mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.

To: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Texas, Clarence Royce

From: The Chancellory of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

Greetings,

We are well aware of the situation concerning our status in North America; indeed, we would not be averse to negotiating a settlement that is beneficial to both parties. We do share some concerns, however, that a withdrawal of Marispatrian personnel might precipitate an uneven rise in attempts to influence or otherwise assume responsibility for the region. To this end, we suggest the following:

* Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. be permitted the right of self-determination, as befits their natural sovereignty as free states.

* That Texas, including all North American states, groups, and polities, respect this right and refrain from efforts to sway or otherwise coerce those people inhabiting the region into giving up their sovereignty. We define this to mean any and all attempts to violate this sovereignty through use of propaganda, cultural, economic, or military coercion.

* Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. must remain an integrated society consisting of all phenotypes; no specific group or people may be permitted to undermine the equal rights enjoyed by all inhabiting this area. The beings of this region have learned to live peaceably, to tolerate and accept differing views or makeups. Human, AI, or mechanized-supremacy will not be tolerated.

* The aforementioned states may be allowed, as Free and Independent States, full power to declare war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do.

We believe these are reasonable points of negotiation. If your administration should find any of the above disagreeable, we are willing to discuss them further. We await your reply.

Warmest Regards,

Salvatario Baldassare
Chancellor of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

We acknowledge your response and are happy that you are warm to terraforming the planet. We must add that this terraforming will not be as drastic as that in Mars- we are merely seeking to make a biosphere that a human can live in without using a pressure suit. The current phase might still require a respirator but otherwise a lot less burdensome for organics. Even for mechanoids it would significantly lower the cost of adapting our bodies for the environment.

We will support your calls to seek an agreement with Marispatria to seek a resolution of their continued presence on the continent. Self-determination of the people living in these regions should be held above all, and this should be the first step to return to normalcy.

Observers of this introverted technotheocratic state north of the Argyre Sea have noted an increasing militancy in the internal political discourse of the Sanctum, directed at the Warmachine and ostensibly motivated by that omni-panopticon state's recent southwards expansion. It seems that the political classes of the Sanctum have spent the last ten years or so engaging in a propaganda drip strategy, playing up the potential threat posed by the Warmachine and capitalising on their past history of attacking other Martian colonies. At some point this political nudge program gained a life of its own, and now sufficient momentum has been acquired for the Sanctum to begin their First Crusade against the Mortal Enemy to the West. The situation has moved from rhetoric to action with Sanctum forces crossing the border to begin seizing territory in the eastern half of the Warmachine's most southerly province. So far the Sanctum's force of 50 Main Battle Tanks, a large assortment of light armour units, and 200 Mechanised Infantry units with aerial support seem to have got the jump on the Warmachine, encountering only light resistance in skirmishes with local defensive units.

Immigration means growth for Robomarxist colony

The Robomarxist colony on Mars on the southern shore of the Argyre Sea has been experiencing a period of elevated and sustained immigration, typically mechanoids seeking a place to live where they can be full citizens. This influx has meant that the colony has an abundance of labour, which they have voted to leverage into an infrastructural expansion program. The plan is to build two new large cities further along the sea shore to the east and west of the first, and to develop an irrigation system to accelerate the greening process of the surrounding environs.

Maat Mons and Cytherean Association formally accepts PRGC offer

The two ships the PRGC will be building will incorporate a combination of the tried and tested design as well as the latest advancements, including an experimental Higgs drive for atmospheric flight, donated by South America

The Maat Mons Underground City and the Cytherean Association responsible for organising the colonisation exodus of the Cytherean phenotype to the Lalande 21185 star system have both agreed to the offer by the Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo to begin building two additional colonising torchships in 2152. "The Cytherean Association is immensively greatful for the aid given by the PRGC for our project" said the Cytherean Association's incumbent Chairperson Siedmunde Klotho in a speech. "we hope that this signifies the beginning of a lasting friendship between the PRGC and the new colony".

AMERICAS

Texan geosciences team completes report on Yellowstone supervolcano

A team from the from the Department of Geological Sciences of the Univeristy of Texas at Austin has completed a comprehensive report on the effects of a potential eruption of the Yellowstone caldera. With assistance from teams in other departments, the geosciences team have compiled and published what is hoped to be a definitive document. At a press conference held on the Austin campus grounds, the team lead representatives from the news media, private businesses and the Texan government through an executive summary of a hypothetical eruption. Beginning with an examination of the magnitude of geological pressure building up, the team estimated a time of ten to fifteen years before eruption, with the energy of the volcanic release increasing in correspondence to the length of time; low-ball estimates give a figure of 850,000 megatons of explosive force, with higher estimates being up to three times as much. How all of this geological energy is released is as important as how much - exhaustive surveys have yet to rule out the possibility that some or all of the eruption may take the form of a massive upwelling of molten magma accompanied by extensive lava flows, after any initial explosive activity. The more explosive the event, the greater distance that over a thousand cubic kilometres of rock, dust, volcanic ash and debris will be scattered. The effects on the regional environment are expected to be devastating, with the entire American continent West of the Mississippi river being covered in one to three feet of volcanic ash, smothering infrastructure and rendering outdoor agriculture impossible in the area. When this settled ash becomes wet, it can harden like concrete and become extremely difficult to remove. The global effects are also expected to be extremely severe, with a global average temperature drop of between two to three degrees Celsius, reduced outdoor agricultural yields across the board, which along with the resulting disruption to established growing seasons would be sufficient to lead to armed conflict should the global situation not be managed carefully.

The Great Plains Federation has embarked on it's first major extraterrestrial development project, a plan to build a permanent space habitat in the form of a pair of O'Neill cylinders in a quasi-stable orbital zone close to the Earth and Luna. The proposed design will be able to comfortably sustain up to 10 million biological individuals at peak capacity, with plenty of large open space and a self-contained artificial ecosystem stretching over most the cylinder pair's internal environments, with each cylinder being 8km in diameter and 32km in length. An outer agricultural ring 16km in radius will provide the inhabitants with a plentiful and varied diet. The project was fast-tracked and approved almost unanimously following revelations concerning the state of the Yellowstone hot spot, with a space habitat being chosen over an extraterrestrial colony due to the increasing crowded and possibly contentious nature of making claims in the inner Solar system, and long travel times being a major factor in discounting the outer Solar system. It is hoped that the mature colony will be able to provide assistance in redevelopment should the Yellowstone hot spot become seriously active.

AFRICA

General and Presidential Elections to be held next year for the EAA

After nearly 18 years of political uncertainty that at times has veered dangerously close to political instability, the EAA government has set a date for polity-wide General and Presidential elections, which are to be held early next year. The Centrist Party has been the latest in a long line of individuals and organisations campaigning for elections, with their central message being that the Extropian-NeoSocialist coalition government has yet to obtain a democratic mandate to rule the East African Alliance, and that now, after nearly two decades, the time has come for elections to be called "so that the people can have a final say in who governs the country" as one Centrist Party demogogue put it on her blog. The Centrist Party's well-financed foray into the elections debate has served to re-invigorate decaying electoral pressure groups of all political persuasions, and sources inside the EAA government admit that the Centrists' entry into the issue has been sufficient to force their hand - after 18 years of post-Confederation reconstruction and development, the incumbent coalition government has run out of legitimate excuses to hold off putting themselves to the democratic acid test. Indeed, the indications from polling and analysis are quite clear that further prevarication on electoral matters could very likely be terminal for the coalition government, which would have knock-on effects for both Extropians and NeoSocialists, with all their losses being the Centrist Party's gain.

Centrist Party and Africa Beyond battle for hearts and minds of rural EAA citizenry

Airship Refuelling Station 21, one of the many battlegrounds in this ideological struggle

Over the past couple of years the Extropian activist network Africa Beyond has been engaged in a program to improve the economic and agricultural output and flexibility of rural communities in the East African Alliance, with the openly stated purpose of making said communities less reliant on currency and less vulnerable to fluctuations in the capitalist markets. The growth and success of this program so far has been the cause for considerable concern among those sections of the EAA population with an interest in maintaining money and markets, causing a surge of support for the Centrist Party among business owners and the wealthier sections of the rural population. This has resulted in an increased visibility and presence for the Centrist Party, who were previously concentrating in urban areas.

Construction of Atlas School of New Economics begins in Addis Ababa

How the finished campus buildings will look

The building foundations for what is slated to become the Atlas School of New Economics have been laid in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, inviting a great deal of speculation as to the nature of the School and it's mysterious backers, who obviously have a lot of money to spare given the lavish nature of the architectural design. While the planning application specifies a university specialising in economics, the name signed on the application, J. Galt, appears to be a pseudonym. In the "Organisation" field of the planning application however is a think-tank with an address in Atlantis, the Enterprise Institute (enterprise-institute.org.atl), which has a history of advocating for free market economics.

President LeClerk in diplomatic visit to EAA leadership and trade unions

President LeClerk of the Peoples' Republic of the Greater Congo paid a visit to EAA government officials to discuss growing ties between the EAA and the PRGC, meeting them in the Trade Union Federation building in Mogadishu. The Main Hall was abuzz with activity as thousands of members and organisers of the various trade unions in attendance met and conversed before the official arrival of LeClerk, and twenty minutes later the gathering moved to the Main Auditorium where the formalities kicked off. The topics discussed by LeClerk and his delegation with the office-holders and trade union officials on the stage included primarily the Centrist Party, a subject made especially serious by the revelation that they were making no pretence of hiding the fact that the aid and support they were receiving was coming from the Watchmen of Humanus. Also of concern was the Atlas School of New Economics, with EAA politicians in attendance from Extropian political organisations openly wondering if the construction of this new development heralded part of some long-term plan to tilt the intellectual and economic landscape in a more capitalist direction. There was some friction, however, concerning the ability of the PRGC to help defend the EAA against various Extropian encroachments, with some audience members asking pointed questions about the PRGC's military capabilities which provoked an additional hour of debate on the stage.

West African Convergence calls off military motions following massive protests

The Shipwrights' Union has a reputation for pugnacity

Divisions between pro-Marispatrian and counter-Marispatrian Extropians have sharpened in the West African Convergence following attempts by Centralists in government to establish closer military ties with the Technocratic Union, which were withdrawn following extensive protests in major cities across the Convergence, as well as petitions to recall the office-holders who put forward the proposals, some of which reached quorum. The petitions mainly centred around concerns over sovereignty, with vocal counter-Marispatrians warning of the dangers of geopolitical entanglement; "It would not do the West African Convergence nor the Extropian movement as a whole any benefit for us to be tied to the hip of the Union, role in the post-Pan-Asian process over which many reliable comrades have expressed doubts" said Akinola Tinuola, one of West Africa's most popular Radical Extropian bloggers, representing the general mood among that milieu. Both the protests and petitions were organised in large part by trade unions, worker's associations with some input from student unions in the western cities. Individual officers in the military and in the West African Militia have expressed reservations about deepening military ties with Marispatria, but both organs have taken no official position on either side of the issue thus far, stating in a general release message that "it is up to the will of the West African citizenry as a whole to make the decision."

EURASIA-PACIFIC

Bangladesh receives visit from ME/RC delegation

Upon landing at the spaceport, the ME/RC delegation was taken to the capital via the newly-constructed monorail system

The Mercury Energy/Resources Collective has sent an official delegation to the Republic of Bangladesh, where they were warmly received and formally welcomed to the National Council Building. The ME/RC delegates were given a tour of the newly-constructed building before having a public discussion with local and global media attendance in the garden. It was explained by the ME/RC delegates that the reason for their visit was to further solidify relations between Extropian polities, as a preventative measure against possible fallout from recent troubling developments in Africa. The Bangladeshis responded that opinions among the general population seem to be ambivalent, although pro-Marispatrian voices had gotten louder recently. "Where does the ME/RC stand on this blasted Marispatrian issue?" asked Defence Secretary Shoma Rahman. "The Collective is on the side of all Extropian polities. In-fighting among Extropians is the last thing the Collective wants or needs, and there is no ethical or utilitarian value in the Collective taking sides should this unfortunate issue result in armed conflict" replied Proteus-604, the ME/RC's Strategic Secretary. "We will be visiting other Extropian polities with a view to strengthening the bonds of Extropian fellowship further, including Marispatria".

To: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of Greater Congo, Vanguard-0185

I am happy to inform you that the government of Texas gives it's consent to the Greater Congolese plan to terraform Venus. It is our hope that our two countries can continue to work together on areas of mutual interest and I would personally like to wish Greater Congo the best of luck in their terraformation efforts.

1.) Meeting opened with a statement from Chairman Katumbi regarding long term plans for settlement of extrasolar planets. We have suggested to add a greater emphasis on space settlement in the next meeting of the International.

2.) Defense Minister Kalunda had a video conference with the EC from her office in Kinshasa. There is agreement to expand the space elevator outside of Nairobi as well as its space port in order to accommodate increased demand as well as new ship designs.

2.) Chairman of the E.C. presented some potential colonization destinations in the solar system as well as in newly discovered sectors and systems.

3.) Meeting with the Robomarxists on Mars regarding their needs for expansion and transit. EC decided that there needs to be better coordination with the New Africa councils so that their development can fit the long-term plans of NeoSocialism's future.

4.) E.C. Representative in New Africa presented a report on the progress of the colony. New Africa is developing well and has prospered in relations with the neighboring Federation of Martian Communes. With the exception of the Sanctum-Warmachine conflict Mars has been calm, even with the loud pronouncements from the Watchmen.

5.) Terraforming operations in Venus discussed. Potential obstacles have been removed, leaving the way open for the planet's terraforming. It was decided in a previous meeting to pursue a more reserved terraforming which would make the planet more livable though not Earth-like in order to preserve the planet's unique characteristics.

6.) Discussions on improvement of communications grid to receive any long-distance messages from the extrasolar colonies once they become operational.